From music and mountains, to the beaches and bards

From music and mountains, to the beaches and bards

Wanderlust Whistler, July 28-Aug. 1, is a haven for those eager to unplug while enjoying yoga, hikes, biking and spirited musical performances. — wanderlust festival files

B.C. is a show-stopping backdrop for celebration — be it adventure, musical interludes, drama, food for thought or consumption. Here’s a sample of events happening in the province this summer.

B.C. is a show-stopping backdrop for celebration — be it adventure, musical interludes, drama, food for thought or consumption. Here’s a sample of events happening in the province this summer:The Williams Lake Stampede in Cariboo Chilcotin promises a wild ride. Set to mark its 90th season June 30-July 3, this celebration of cowboy culture includes a white-knuckle mountain race, gutsy bull-riding competitions, live music and hard-working rodeo clowns. williamslakestampede.comOn the sandcastle-ready shores of Vancouver Island’s Parksville, the world’s best builders gather yearly for the Quality Foods Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition & Exhibition, a key qualifying event for the World Championship of Sand Sculpting.

Competitors shape their creations July 15-17; the fine-grained results are on display until Aug. 21. parksvillebeachfest.caMusic fans can experience a different coastal shoreline further north at the Bella Coola Music Festival, July 23-24. Rock and roots, folk and blues — it’s all here.

Jill Barber and Matthew Barber, Bend Sinister, Nick Sherman, and Magical Jesaja (for the kiddies) make this musical fest worth the journey to the windswept shores at Highway 20’s end. bellacoolamusic.orgNeed down time?

Wanderlust Whistler, July 28-Aug. 1, is a haven for those eager to unplug, reconnect with nature and join a like-minded community.

Whistler’s four-season mountain village proves a natural setting for the festival’s five engaging days of meditation, yoga, hikes, biking, spirited musical performances, thought-provoking lectures and bustling Kula Market. wanderlust.com/eventsThe quaint Cariboo Chilcotin former mining town of Wells is a hub for artisans and other creative types. It’s also home to the ArtsWells Festival Of All Things Art, a showcase of more than 200 musical performances as well as dozens of workshops, children’s activities, film screenings, an art walk and the One-Minute Play Festival, July 29–Aug. 1. artswells.comBuffy Sainte-Marie, Busty and the Bass, Mob Bounce and many others will keep the party going in the magic setting of Haida Gwaii. Equal parts energy and chill, the Edge of the World Music Festival, Aug. 5–7, melds musical styles and performances, enhanced by the natural beauty that engulfs the tiny hamlet of Tlell. edgefestival.caAdventurers are primed for the Crankworx mountain bike festival at Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Aug. 12–21, a 10-day celebration of two-wheeling culture that attracts downhill, slopestyle and enduro pros alongside rising stars and superfans. A host of gravity-fuelled races draw crowds to this four-season mountain village, while the little ones can test their mettle, and develop some skills, during Kidsworx. crankworx.comThe Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts is the country’s longest-running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers from around the world. Lineups feature established names alongside burgeoning new talent; this season’s Aug. 11-14 event at Sechelt’s Rockwood Centre spotlights celebrated writers Marina Endicott, Lawrence Hill and Lorna Crozier together with new voices Karim Alrawi and Carol Daniels. writersfestival.caThe Kootenay Rockies village of New Denver loves bright bulbs — of garlic, that is. The annual Hills Garlic Festival is one of the top garlic festivals in the world. This all-day ode to the mighty bulb, Sept. 11, showcases live entertainment, crafts, soaps, jewelry, local produce — and, of course, plenty of garlic. hillsgarlicfest.caA brew fest in the Okanagan? B.C.’s wine country is also home to some pretty stellar pours. BrewLoops, a yearly Kamloops fest, serves up good times Sept. 28–Oct. 2 with tailgate-style outdoor block parties, brewery dinners, brewing seminars, homebrew competitions and VIP cask events. Mountain bikes races, guided group bike rides and a beer-pairing brunch round out the four-day festivities. brewloopsfest.ca

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